The English side together with Wales find themselves placed in an identical group for the 2027 Rugby World Cup, promising a major early clash in the tournament Down Under. Completing the group in Pool F by the Tongan Ikale Tahi and the Zimbabwean Sables.
This pairing echoes their famous clash in the pool stages of the 2015 tournament, where Wales' victory at Twickenham contributed to the hosts' surprise group stage elimination.
Other Notable Group Draws
The Irish and Scotland have likewise been drawn in a pool together, replicating the scenario from the France 2023 tournament. On that occasion, Ireland secured a 36-14 win, with their opponents failing to progress to the quarter-finals.
Los Teros and Portugal, who each made a strong impression as underdogs in France, round out that Pool D.
Notably, the victors of both Pool D and Pool F are kept apart from defending champions and top-ranked the Springboks before the final, presuming the South Africans win their own group.
Knockout Implications
Should the groups conclude according to the current world rankings, other leading contenders like New Zealand and France would remain separated from the likes of England and Ireland all the way to the championship decider.
Under those circumstances, Los Pumas would be the other highly-seeded nation on the same half of the knockout draw as those northern hemisphere teams.
Tournament Hosts Draw Major Fixture
Hosts the Wallabies have been drawn alongside their trans-Tasman rivals and triple champions the All Blacks in Group A.
Australia will open the tournament in Perth on October 1st, 2027 in a blockbuster fixture designed to jump-start the event.
Elsewhere, holders South Africa have drawn Italy, Georgia and the Oaks. The French team are grouped with Japan, future hosts the United States and Samoa.
Expanded Format for 2027
Argentina will take on Fiji, Los Leones and the Canadian team as the World Cup grows to twenty-four nations from the 20 who competed in 2023.
This edition will feature a last-16 round for the very first time in Rugby World Cup history.
While the winner of Pool F may be kept apart from some of the rugby's heavyweights early on, they will have to face the second-placed team from Pool B – probably the Italians – in the first knockout round.
A total of four of the other six group winners will play a third-placed side from the pool stages.
Rugby World Cup 2027 Groups
Pool A
- New Zealand
- Australia
- Chile
- Hong Kong
Pool B
- South Africa
- Italy
- Georgia
- Romania
Pool C
- Argentina
- Fiji
- Spain
- Canada
Pool D
- Ireland
- Scotland
- Uruguay
- Portugal
Pool E
- France
- Japan
- USA
- Samoa
Pool F
- England
- Wales
- Tonga
- Zimbabwe
